“People do not care how much you know until they know how much you care.” This quote from author John C. Maxwell is the essence of empathetic leadership, which is more important than ever to business success.
Empathetic leaders encourage trust and promote employee engagement and input. Team members feel empowered to contribute ideas and suggestions and to be innovative.
Are you an empathetic leader? Consider these qualities:
- They walk the walk and present themselves honestly and without pretense.
- Transparent communicators and decision-makers. Empathetic leaders believe in open dialogue, active listening, and backing up their words with action.
- Ability to empower and develop others. They realize that each person brings a unique set of skills, capabilities, and experiences to the table; and they focus on harnessing these and using them to benefit both the employee and the company.
- Embracing diversity, equity, and inclusion in a real way. They don’t just pay lip service to these, but they model them every day.
- Emotional intelligence. Empathetic leaders understand their feelings and direct them in a positive way to overcome challenges and resolve conflicts.
